Meet Viviana Castellanos | Small Dog Business Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Viviana Castellanos and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Viviana, how has your background shaped the person you are today?

I was born and raised in Chula Vista surrounded by a big loving Mexican family. My upbringing shaped me in so many ways both positive and not so positive. I am the youngest of 4 daughters. Growing up we were expected to follow the rules of our parents, do well in school, and be overall good helpful people. My parents worked hard to provide a comfortable life for us and therefore expected us to excel at anything we did. While I appreciated the expectations placed on me, it did create a fear of failure that I would later have to unlearn. I had always looked up to my sisters who had achieved success in various aspects of their lives. That was the standard; straight A’s, hard work, and excellence. My parents supported everything I did whether it was dance, singing, or leaving to LA to study. In return I always put my best foot forward. They always told us we could do anything we put our mind to; win or lose didn’t matter as long as we tried our best. I grew up listening to Vicente Fernandez, Pink Floyd, The Temptations, Tupac, NSYNC, all kinds of music from my parents and sisters. My family was and is very proud to be Mexican so that’s what I was taught. I finally felt connected to my culture when I started dancing Baile Folklorico in high school. Dance connected me to my culture in a very profound way. Although I found the love of culture in dance, I still struggled with being Mexican American. The split between being too American in Mexico and too Mexican in the U.S. left me feeling lost at times. I was often considered less Mexican because I didn’t eat spicy foods or my Spanish wasn’t as good as my friends. It wasn’t until I accepted that there is no one size fits all for any culture. That sense of self allowed me to leave home and be on my own for the first time through college. While away, I learned how to be independent in new ways, how to ask for help, and how to take risks and push myself to greatness. Through every aspect of my life I have had the unconditional love and support of my family.

My upbringing made me strong. I had exceptional examples of hard working, independent, and caring people in my parents and sisters. It proved to me that I can overcome hardships and persevere when the world seems to be falling apart around me. It made me a perfectionist, which can be a good and bad thing. My childhood was filled with love, support, happiness and like everyone else a lot of hardship and loss. I truly am blessed to have grown up the way I did. Had my parents not instilled their work ethic in me, I may have not graduated in 4 years with two degrees. The love of culture and family I experienced growing up made me want to share that with the world. That eventually led me to opening my own dog panaderia (Mexican bakery).

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?

I own a dog bakery. Which is pretty unique in itself but what sets my business apart is that I am focused on selling Mexican inspired baked goods aka pan dulce. I have released dog conchas, polvorones, and chicharrón. Although I do not have a full menu of just pan dulce yet, I am excited to create those traditional goods in the future. My proudest aspect of my business is the love and support I get from my customers. They truly are the sweetest people and all the dogs steal my heart every day. The future, although scary, is what I’m most excited about; the endless possibilities for the business.

Nothing is truly easy when starting a business, especially during a pandemic. However, I had the support of my family and friends that guided me through the toughest times. I overcame most of the challenges with a lot of patience. There were days when I truly wanted to give up. I would become so overwhelmed when something went wrong but eventually I learned to let go of the need for perfection. That has been one of my biggest lessons. The other impactful lesson is to work smarter not harder. Prepping things as early as possible to avoid a large amount of work with little time to do it.

The one thing I want the world to know about my brand, myself, my products is that it’s all made with love. I put my heart into creating designs and products that will be enjoyed by my doggy customers.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?

If my best friend was coming to San Diego for the first time I would definitely get all the main attractions done first. Such as balboa park, old town, seaport village, and the harbor. Once most of the main attractions are done we would explore Chula Vista more. Take them down to 3rd avenue for some bomb vegan food at Cultivated Greens inside Brew Bar. Do some bar hopping at Bar Sin Nombre, 3 Punks, Groundswell, etc. For some non-vegan food take them to eat some birria at Birrieria Don Rafa, some fish tacos at El Cacho, or tacos al vapor from Tacos La Especial on H st. Go further south to San Ysidro and eat some tacos or do some shopping at Las Americas. A more relaxing day by Otay lakes, maybe a small hike, followed by delicious pizza from Joe & Ernie’s.

We can spend the day at a farmers market in North Park and then walk the shops in the area. Can’t forget the beaches like Coronado or the skyline view on Coronado island. An early morning walking Sunset Cliffs followed by some breakfast and coffee at a local shop. Then liberty station to snack on the plethora of options there. Little Italy would be a great place for dinner maybe go to Buona Forchetta or Civico 1845. Gaslamp is the hot spot for nightlife but karaoke in North Park or Hillcrest is always so fun.

Honestly, most days would be spontaneous, go with the flow style. San Diego has so much to offer in every direction, it’s hard to not have a great time. Even though I grew up here I always feel like there’s something new to learn about this city.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?

My immediate family encouraged me from day one to start my dog business. Through them I have had the strength to continue on even when I felt like quitting. The whole family has been a tremendous help; Ari helping me create new products, my mom packaging and staying up until 4am with me, my dad driving me anywhere I need for supplies, Andrea getting a dog to buy treats for, and Virginia continuously promoting even though she only has cats. Each of my family members has helped me get to where I am today, especially Ernie.

After mentioning the concept of a dog panaderia, Ernie pushed me to start. Every time I would see him he’d ask about its progress. Then when I finally went for it during quarantine, he helped me tremendously. He became my marketing consultant, photographer, graphic designer, really anything that he could help me with he did. If I had or have a question about how something looks I send it his way for an honest opinion. I trust in his opinion to tell me when something can be improved. He helped me trust in my own opinion, my own vision for the business. From small things to moving a product on the table at a pop up event to spending hours designing my business card, Ernie has been a consistent source of guidance for me and I am forever grateful for him.

I am very blessed to have multiple people in my extended family and friends that have supported me through this entire process. Thank you to every single one of my family members and friends that have shared my business, helped me baked, let me borrow their kitchens and pets for pictures, and brought me coffee when I needed it the most. I truly appreciate every single one of you.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/manchaspawnaderia/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/manchaspawnaderia

Image Credits
Images Credits: Mark Arica @markaricacine